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History of Japan’s Signature Beverage Sake Shared in New Book

October 16, 2025

In Kanpai: The History of Sake, historian Eric C. Rath delivers what is believed to be the first comprehensive history of sake written in English, tracing this revered rice-based drink from its ancient, homebrewed origins to its modern, global profile. The book aims to dispel myths, highlight overlooked contributions, and reveal how sake has evolved with Japan’s culture, economy, and society.

Key Themes & Discoveries

Here are some of the major insights and themes Rath explores in Kanpai: The History of Sake:

Origins & Early Homebrewing

Sake’s beginnings are humble and largely community-based. Rath recounts how sake was brewed in households, at shrines, and in temples. Homebrewers — including women and local clan figures — played significant roles in refining early techniques.
Temple & Ritual Influence

Religious institutions and temples were central in developing sake-making methods. They served not just as places of ritual consumption but as centers of technological refinement — for example, in fermentation, the use of koji mold, and in methods to purify and polish rice.
Regulation & Changing Laws

One interesting part of the narrative covers how the Japanese government over time regulated sake. For instance, homebrewing was banned in 1899 as the state sought to increase tax revenues and control production. But resistance and traditions persisted.
Evolution of Production and Recipe

Sake is often mistaken in the West for “rice wine,” but its production process is more akin to beer due to the multiple parallel fermentation involved (rice + koji + yeast). Rath details how rice polishing, water sourcing, yeast strains, and even the structure of breweries have changed over centuries.
Cultural Role & Social Meaning

Beyond fermentation, sake carries ritual, social, and symbolic weight. It appears throughout literature, in courtly life (e.g., the Heian period), in festival rituals, marriages, and more. It has also served as a medium of protest or identity (e.g. homebrewing has occasionally been tied to legal and constitutional debates).
Modern Decline & Global Rise

Despite its deep roots, sake is no longer dominant in Japan’s domestic alcoholic beverage market. Rath notes that it accounts for a small percentage (around 5%) relative to beer. However, abroad, sake is increasing in prestige and consumption. There is growing interest in specialty and premium sake outside Japan.

Why Kanpai Matters

Fills a Gap in Scholarship: Until this book, there was no full‐scale history of sake in English. Many existing works focus on tasting, recipes, or sake culture in a popular sense, but not the long sweep of its history.
Challenges Myths & Simplifications: For example, the idea that sake has remained unchanged over centuries; or that it is simply “rice wine.” The book also brings forward the oft-ignored role of women, early home brewers, and regional variations.
Connects Drink & Identity: By tracing sake’s relationship with Japanese society, law, politics, and religion, the book shows that sake is more than a drink — it’s a marker of local identity, tradition, and cultural change.

Sample Highlights & Anecdotes

Kanpai includes surprising stories, such as how homebrewing became a symbol of protest in the 1970s in opposition to large state infrastructure projects, when people asserted what they called a constitutional “freedom to brew.”
The toast “kanpai” (literally “dry cup”) has its own history. Rath describes how naval officers adopted a phrase akin to “cheers” inspired by Western traditions, toasting the emperor or high-ranked individuals.
The contrast between ancient sake, sometimes brewed with less polished rice or local yeasts, versus modern premium sake which involves high polishing ratios, precise water sources, temperature control etc. The evolution reflects both technological advances and changing tastes.

Context: Sake in Japan & Globally Today

In December 2024, Japan succeeded in having the traditional process of sake making with koji mold recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. This recognition boosts sake’s prestige, helps preserve traditional practices, and draws attention to its cultural value.
Meanwhile, newer trends such as “craft sake” (brews that experiment with flavors or depart from some traditional definitions) are emerging, especially in regions known for sake heritage.

Conclusion

Kanpai: The History of Sake offers readers a richly textured view of sake’s story — far more than just fermentation steps. It is a story of community and culture, of women and temples, of shifting laws, and shifting tastes. For anyone interested in Japanese food culture, religious ritual, economic history, or simply in what makes sake what it is — this book is a must-read.